S3 E5: Hope Does Not Disappoint: Encountering God in Grief (Feast of All Souls)

In this All Souls Day reflection, Christine Sellnow shares a deeply personal story of loss, grief, and God's comfort. After the sudden passing of her brother-in-law Danny, Christine found herself overwhelmed by sorrow while serving as a Catholic missionary in Romania. Through a providential encounter with fellow missionaries at a post office, she experienced God’s presence in a profound and unexpected way. Drawing from St. Paul’s words, “Hope does not disappoint,” Christine reminds us that God doesn’t just meet us at the end of our journey—He walks with us through every moment of pain and healing.

This episode is a powerful testament to how God proves his love for us in the quiet, ordinary moments, especially when we need him most.

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Christine grew up in farm country in Croswell, MI, but her family moved to Midland in 2001 and became active members at Assumption BVM Parish. She earned her bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame, with plans on becoming a human rights lawyer. After graduation, Christine spent 14 months in Romania as a Catholic missionary through Con-solatio, and learned first-hand that changing hearts is more transformational in the lives of individuals than changing laws. She has been working in ministry ever since. This is her 8th year serving as the Coordinator of Middle School Youth Ministry at Blessed Sacrament, and she loves finding creative ways to help the students grow in relationship with Jesus Christ. She and her husband, Kevin, have been married for 8 years, and they have two young daughters.